And the Word Was Initialized....
by Deadpoet1
Summary: How Daemon came to be and was able to infiltrate the Guardian Collective CHAPTER 3 ADDED
1. Chapter 1

Author's notes:  
  
I do not own Reboot or any of the characters; they are property of Mainframe Entertainment.  
  
Constructive criticism is appreciated, so please review.  
  
***  
  
Anna Lan sipped her energy shake listlessly. She couldn't believe she'd been called in to the Prime Guardian's office for the third time this term. This time it had been about her less than stellar performance on her practical exam on sealing tears. Last time it had been about that fiasco in game training. And before that, it was her poor marks in Supercomputer history. At this rate, she would be expelled by the end of the term. It wasn't fair. She spent almost all her free time studying, but she just didn't understand it. She just didn't have the skills to do any of the fighting; and she could never remember any of the history or viral classification.  
  
She sighed and surveyed the cafeteria from her table in the corner. She hated it here. She didn't have any friends. And she always felt so basic. The only class in which she had even remotely good marks was in vehicle maintenance, which she took as an elective. She would have been happy to leave the Guardian Academy and become a repair sprite. But that would never happen; she was a Lan. Lans had been Guardians since the founding of the Collective.  
  
She gathered up her organizer and data storage and headed down to the Joseph Lan Memorial Read-Only Room, her mind on her earlier meeting with Turbo.  
  
"You know why I've called you in here."  
  
Anna nodded. "I'm trying Sir. I really am."  
  
"Anna, I know you're trying, but this is your fourth term here, and you haven't improved at all. I've sent a notice to your parents. If your grades aren't up by the end of the term, I'm afraid that's it."  
  
"Sir, please. I…I don't know what else to do, but you can't expel me. I mean—"  
  
"I know your family has a long-standing tradition in the Collective and this Institution," Turbo remarked, "but I can't keep you here with these grades of yours. I'm sorry."  
  
Anna stopped in front of the trophy case in hall. The damn Lan tradition. Her father and mother were Guardians. Her uncles and aunts were guardians. And Bob—her damn brother was one of the best students ever to attend the academy. She looked at the smiling likeness of him on the wall—one of many awards he had received—and her eyes narrowed. It wasn't fair. She wished she could show up her older brother for once in her life. She'd give anything to be the star for a few moments. To have people look at her as a person…not a Lan, and definitely not Bob's little sister. She turned on her heel and headed out into the darkness. She didn't feel like studying anymore; she knew it wouldn't matter. And she definitely did not want to go back to the dormitory, where she knew an e-mail from her parents would be waiting to tell her she was a disgrace. She decided to walk off some of her frustrations.  
  
. 


	2. Chapter 2

On the lowest level of the Supercomputer, a bright flash of light briefly illuminated a dank alley. As the light subsided, a young woman, cradling a bundle of cloth, emerged and collapsed to her knees.  
  
She was so weak, so sick. Her labor pains had not yet subsided when they had attacked. Her eyes narrowed. She hated them. They were cruel, evil beings. They had almost deleted her and her baby. If Codex hadn't...  
  
She fought back tears, thinking of her husband, Codex. He must be dead by now too. With his last bit of strength, he had transported her here. She hadn't wanted to leave him, but she knew he had made her go, to protect the child. The survival of the child was more important than anything else, even their lives. This child was "The Word."  
  
A sudden noise jerked her out of her reverie. She looked to see it was merely a stray cat jumping on some old boxes. "Pull yourself together, Distortia," she scolded herself. She had to find somewhere safe, where she could hide. Distortia struggled to her feet, shocked to see that her pants were soaked with energy. A wave of dizziness overcame her. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to stand. She would survive, and so would the child. She struggled over to the boxes and curled up inside them, shivering with cold, fatigue, and energy loss. She curved her body around her child, trying to keep her warm. Gradually, she gave into the weariness and sank into a deep sleep.  
  
When she awoke, it was only a few hours later. The child was crying, hungry. She picked the child up, undid the clasp on her shirt, and began to feed her. The child was quickly full and fell into a deep sleep again. Distortia looked at her daughter. Her beautiful skin was the same color as her father's. "Codex…" she thought. She felt something inside of her break as she realized that she would never see him again. The sense of loss overwhelmed her, and she began to sob.  
  
As her grief subsided, she found herself growing angrier. She was overcome by a desire to get even with those who had killed Codex, who had forced her from her home. She looked at the sleeping baby again and realized that it was impossible to get immediate revenge. She had other responsibilities. But if she bided her time, it would happen eventually.  
  
The child she held was the strongest of her kind ever to be initialized. Her coming had been foretold years ago. The supervirus. The Word. And Distortia had received the honor of conceiving and bearing this child from the User. She knew she had to raise and protect the child as well. And eventually, the Word would become strong and would get revenge for Codex. For all viruses. The entire Net would bow to the Word. Distortia smiled. She would call the child Daemon. 


	3. Chapter 3

Anna returned to her room at about midnight. Her roommate was out, as she always was. Anna hated her roommate sometimes. The girl never studied, but still got perfect marks in almost every subject. It wasn't fair.  
  
She saw there were two e-mails waiting for her. One was from her parents, as was to be expected. She opened it. The same drivel about how she was a disappointment to the Lan family name and how they had never had this sort of trouble with Bob. The letter concluded with a promise to Vidwindow her later, so they could "sort all of this unpleasant business out."  
  
Anna opened the other e-mail. It was from…Bob?  
  
"Hey little sis," it read. "So I hear you're having some trouble at the Academy. You know I'm always willing to help, so write or Vidwindow if there's anything I can do. I know just a little bit about being a Guardian, you know. I love you. I'll write again soon."  
  
"I know just a little bit about being a Guardian," Anna mimicked. She remembered a time when she had adored Bob, when she was sure he could fix anything. Before he'd gone away to the Academy, he'd been normal. Then he came home a hero, one of the best students in the history of all Guardians. And he'd become so arrogant after that. Damn Bob and his smug, know-it- all attitude. He was so self-righteous. Mr. Perfect. She was so tired of living in his shadow and being expected to be just like him.  
  
She knew she was stupid—not cut out to be a Guardian—and she was sick of having everyone rub it in her face. "I'll find a way to get even with them. With all of them. But with Bob especially." She would find some way to make them all sorry for treating her like she didn't matter. Turbo, her parents, her classmates, Bob. They'd all regret belittling her like that.  
  
"Maybe it'd be better if I just deleted myself," she thought for the hundredth time since coming to the Guardian Academy. "They'd all be sorry then." She curled up on her bed, wondering how she could do it and daydreaming about the scandal and uproar she would cause if she went through with it. Eventually, she slipped off to sleep, exhausted by her own resentment. 


End file.
